Neil van Niekerk
Craftsy Instructor

Wayne, NJ

Neil van Niekerk is a photographer based in the New Jersey and New York area, specializing in portrait, wedding and boudoir photography. He also maintains an active website for photographers, Tangents. He teaches workshops and seminars on photography and photography lighting. He has written three books on flash photography. His website is neilvn.com. Neil's books: Direction & Quality of Light: Your Key to Better ... Read Full Bio »

Neil van Niekerk is a photographer based in the New Jersey and New York area, specializing in portrait, wedding and boudoir photography. He also maintains an active website for photographers, Tangents. He teaches workshops and seminars on photography and photography lighting. He has written three books on flash photography. His website is neilvn.com. Neil's books: Direction & Quality of Light: Your Key to Better Portrait Photography Anywhere, On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photographers, Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers.

Neil's Craftsy Classes

Follow expert wedding photographer Neil van Niekerk on a wedding-day photo shoot and learn the best strategies for working with a large group in a small window of time. Conquer the dreaded shot list with a family diagram––at a glance, you’ll be able to decipher family politics, relationships and what shots you still need to take. Discover how to anchor your shots around the wedding couple, and delve into sequencing strategies that will make your session run smoothly. Explore Neil’s go-to setups for big groups, and confidently direct both men and women with natural, versatile poses. Create warm, flattering lighting indoors and out with simple flash and modifiers. Plus, learn shot-saving post-processing techniques to fix closed eyes and remove distracting glare from glasses.

Discover valuable posing and lighting tips as you follow award-winning photographer Neil van Niekerk on an engagement and wedding day shoot. Watch Neil’s client consultation, and find out how he collaborates with a couple to create personality-filled photos. Then, master traditional poses and essential sequencing strategies that will make your shoots faster and more effective. Prepare for high-pressure situations with Neil’s expert advice on creating romantic, flattering shots in any location, and use focal lengths and aperture to eliminate distracting background elements and create an ethereal glow. Plus, save time and enhance your shots with Neil’s post-processing tips.

Whether you’re an aspiring professional or a passionate enthusiast, you’ll gain valuable insights as Neil leads you through his shooting strategies in a variety of settings, both indoors and out. Learn the most effective methods of controlling your camera to prevent shake using remote flash with optical and radio sensors. See how to set your metering properly using both manual and through-the-lens (TTL) modes. You’ll diffuse your light using soft boxes, umbrellas and other gear and get tips for positioning and directing your subject. With Neil’s professional techniques and feedback, you’ll soon have magazine-quality photos of your clients, family and friends!

Using a speedlight successfully in environments with challenging natural light is what separates the pro photographer from the rest. Learn the effects of different lighting environments and when to use automatic or manual flash. Attain optimal lighting on your subject by bouncing your flash in ways you might not have thought possible to achieve correct exposure. With a speedlight, you can control your subjectís lighting in any environment using Neilís innovative tips and methods.